Sam’s Anchor Cafe. Photo by albedo20 / Flickr
The generally accepted story of brunch originates in England in 1895 with a man named Guy Berginer and his essay “Brunch: A Plea.” Beringer argued for brunch as a method of recovery on Sunday for those who indulged heavily on Saturday night.
In the US, brunch began in the 1930s in Chicago. Intercontinental trains would pass through Chicago in the late morning and early afternoon, when riders would disembark for a meal. Over time, it expanded across the country and grew to be a major part of the culture in metropolitan areas like New York.
Once a simple, light meal, brunch has grown more controversial, as some see large, luxurious feasts on weekends as an expression of privilege while many struggle to get by.
This is certainly the case in San Francisco. With dozens of brunch options across the city, you’ll find just about anything you could want, whether it’s traditional breakfast fare, bottomless mimosas, Mexican brunch, or indulgent buffets. More interestingly, many of these brunches have taken on the character, history, and culture of the city. With so many options available it can be hard to know where to go, but a few restaurateurs have made brunch their own to provide unique experiences that shouldn’t be missed. (more…)
I remember when the McDonald’s near my house began offering free soda refills. As a kid, it was a revelation! Unlimited soda with my Quarter Pounder with cheese.
Next, fast food chains began offering self-serve machines. So not only was I able to have unlimited soda, but I could get it myself without having to wait in line for the person behind the counter to refill it for me (and without the embarrassment of going up to the register three or four times to ask for more Diet Coke).
Now, there’s a new evolution in fast food and sodas: Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. Introduced in 2009, the Freestyle is a touchscreen machine that features up to 165 different Coca-Cola drink products and custom flavors. In addition to the widely available Coke and Sprite products, sodas such as Mello Yello, Barq’s creme soda, flavored Dasani water, and Powerade are offered, as well as flavored syrups to mix in, such as cherry, vanilla, and grape. (more…)
Photo by sputnik / Flickr
In my previous articles about Chinese dining in Los Angeles, I have only incidentally mentioned the Orange County community of Irvine. However, this omission should not be interpreted as minimizing Irvine’s importance on the Chinese food scene, as indeed Irvine ranks second in the Los Angeles metropolitan area behind only the San Gabriel Valley as the preferred source of authentic Chinese food. Rather, I haven’t said much about Irvine because of its geographic distance, some 40 miles from both Los Angeles Chinatown and the San Gabriel Valley, and 55 miles from the Westside of Los Angeles. As such, Irvine’s Chinese food options are seldom appreciated by diners from these other areas. (more…)
Recently, while at the drive-thru at my local McDonald’s, I noticed a poster that read, “Kale. Time To Meet A Real-Life Superfood.”
I grew up on fast food, like the Big Mac value meal I was waiting on. Everyone accepted that virtually the entire fast food menu was bad for you. In the 80s and 90s, there were no posters about kale. Heck, no one knew what kale was! (more…)
Once upon a time, the term celebrity conjured up visions of movie stars and superstar athletes, but somewhere along the line, the term deteriorated into something much less exclusive. Nowadays, there are celebrity chefs, celebrity doctors, celebrity hair stylists, celebrity houseguests, and celebrity pets. A guy I know has been described as a celebrity real estate developer. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were celebrity plumbers and celebrity gardeners. But the term really reached an extreme when I was labeled a “celebrity diner.” (more…)
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